Newspaper Page Text
‘Atlanta
Huge Bible Classes, Which Rank With Highest
in U. S., and Are Taught by Prominent Men,
Among Them the Governor of Georgia, Put
This Community in Van of Religious Work.
By TARLETON COLLIER.
AN enthusiastic zeal among churchmen of
Atlanta is making the city one of the
world's most fruitful fields for Sunday
School work. That zeal is a sort of glorified
‘Atlanta Spirit,’ working this time not for ma
terial gain, but for a spiritual progress.
It had its reward last May, when the world's
largest Sunday School enrollment was an
nounced as that of the First Christian Church
of Atlanta. This point was reached at the
close of the great membership contest between
the .Sunday Schools of the First Christian and
Second Baptist Churches.
It was not held for long, it is true, as the
Canton, Ohio Christian Church, which held the
world’s Sunday School record until that time,
immediately liecame very busy and topped At
lanta’s figures. Hut the position had been
achieved, and the eyes of the Sunday School
world were turned toward Atlanta. And fixed
on Atlanta.
While the high-tension effort is over which
last spring made Atlanta one of the first cities
of Sunday Schools, work less spectacular but
no less sincere is being carried on, maintain
ing the position of prominence that was won.
Many of the classes are among the largest
in the I’nited States.
For one thing. It is the very men who have
made Atlanta great in a material way who
are foremost in its Sunday School work. Gov-
_ « ■■ ■
■fz UFO Bwb
Hr -Amlbm
Bfc' ' jsßSi
?•" ■' < ■
HA*?■ *•. *• ‘5- '■ 6r-'
• I q&'. -Wr /
F z ■
•'
>WMF j
Si ■ W r ;■ ■
y> ■ <- /
< : £&r L- wP”RMi
ernor Slaton himself is one of the teachers
in the Trinity Methodist. “Atlanta Spirit” is
given by them its first real interpretation—is
shown to l>e a real patriotism that may be set
to work anywhere. Witness the appeal of the
"Welder
"The ‘Atlanta Spirit' is very well, commer
cially, industrially, and all that. But we
should further demonstrate our wisdom if we
applied the same zeal and increasing earnest
ness to our own church and Sunday School.”
The “Welder” is a really notable achieve
ment. It is a magazine, of sixteen to twenty
pages, published each month by the Bible class
of the Second Baptist Church taught by Fred
J. Faxon, a magazine of church news that is
so arranged and handled as to take on an en
thralling interest even to outsiders. And be
cause of the interest it supplies, it is called the
“Welder.”
"It brings together the various interests of
the church in one substantial form.” said Mr.
Faxon. “It attracts .interest, and holds it.”
At first it was intended only as a record of
the class and its rather significant work. Then
U because the church organ, published. sermons
by the pastor. Dr. John E. White, notable lec
tures or papers by the pastor or others, news
of the church’s departments, statistical reports,
personal notes, missionary letters, and always
an inspiring, instructive page or two of edi
torials. And now it is lieing offered to the At
lanta Sunday School Superintendents’ Congress
to be used as its official organ. The "Welder”
is an ambitious venture. It is unique, having
been ojierated successfully, and at the same
time refusing advertisements and paid sub
scriptions. It is unusual, too. in that it is pro
duced by a single Sunday School class.
But that class. It is one of Atlanta's many
groat Sunday School classes. It has jnore than
lob enrolled members, whose ages range from
little more than 20 to 65. Among its members
are a number of public school teachers, several
principals of schools, and other prominent
men or Women.
Some of its members are Miss Kate Alsa
brook. Dr. J. L. Blair. Miss Jessie M. Camp
bell, Miss I.ouise Catchings. Prof. W. O. Cheney,
Miss Chloe Coffee, W. C. Daviet. John T. Ennis.
Miss lA-na Floersch, Paul W. Gibson. Miss Bes
sie Hart. Miss Margaret Ilaynsworth. Mrs. J.
Justls, Miss Cecil V. Kendrick. Miss Zoudie
Leake, Frank 11. Leavell, Miss Japtha Long,
Miss Alberta Malone. Miss Orpha Massey, W.
J. Mcßride, Miss Millie McClure, Miss Frances
Rainwater, Dr. S. C. Redd. Miss Ora Stamps,
A. L. Teßow, Miss Mary Ella Yancey. These
are some school teachers or professional men
or women, most of them, who themselves are
learning.
Larger than Mr. Faxon’s class, probably the
largest class in all the city's Sunday Schools,
is that of Dr. L. O. Bricker, pastor of the First
Christian Church. Dr. Bricker's enthusiasm
and personal work it was that helped toward
the success of the recent membership campaign
in which his church achieved a world’s record.
In his class more than 300 men and women are
enrolled for the study of the Bible. His is a
class unth a definite organization which even
includes a publicity manager, who Is A. M.
Beatty, prominent in the Postal Telegraph
Company. Mr. Beatty, in fact, directs the pub
licity of the entire church.
As to organization, most of the larger and
stronger classes are definitely formed, and
their activities carefully planned. Thus a
basis of Interest is created. The Baraca and
I’hiiathea classes, interdenominational organi-
HEARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1913.
r ~ i
; ’ L
Kan \ ■ •,
•jMOk WEMwgM? $.
F'
Mr- n.W *HBwii£fckk» S A u x a. • ,
Em J ' # Ol
§r^Ww ;T t«f.. ■' . ■ • : r -;.
it^ygSgifcirvfalii ■l'vUxte. ~
Wg; E' dOi
wißw
j3^JMoCKjS£^MPsJt*2'’*’3 >»aEH JiSTJSjHfe.' Tje *** -*■<✓ 'GW /Iw
yWygNab?? . - 'ijl ilt OSSKIQc ■ ’ t» jjmbMKßTrßli'■'' l*~ i '» ■». iL. *
waffigflaj -‘-4>
BL/'*?*' xia t®
f a*>7v- V -tiMiM.^-'•<u f " '-■ 'V?. <2.
~
, a ff- --,. ■ . ’''-jA;'ste?ia x .
e.*- ft ~'S*» sjiO- • "'■ ’
zations. are said to be substantially prosperous
in evpry church, because their principles of ad
ministration are definite and therefore at
tractive.
Among the individual classes, another that
is unusually large and effective is that of
Thomas J. Day, of the Second Baptist Church,
prominent insurance man, who counted nearly
500 members on the hist Sunday of the great
membership contest. The class Is made up of
young men. It has dwindled considerably since
the day of the final burst of glory that ended
the contest, but still it is among the largest
classes in this city of big classes. With an
enrollment of almost 500 It was one of the
largest in the Sunday School world.
Another Interesting class in the same Sec
ond Baptist Sunday School is that of Judge
John T. Pendleton, of the Fulton County Su
perior Court. In his mixed class of men and
women there are about 156 members, whose
percentage of consistent attendance is high.
In many instances the personal Influence of
the men and women who teach the larger
classes was responsible for the exceptional en
rollment. Among them all there was an en
thusiasm. A. M. Beatty, publicity manager
of the Christian Chuueh, describes In the "Wel
der” the interest that marked the work as
follows:
“Individual work predominated. Several
business men, who were unable to give their
time during the week to the securing of new
scholars, volunteered to pay the car fare of
children who were too poor to come from the
outlying suburbs. In this manner many chil
dren who had never been to Sunday School
had the pleasure of attending the First Chris
tian Bible School for three months, and now
they can’t stop it.
“Tile ladies formed themselves into what they
called the “flying squadron,” and they did some
tine work. There was no redistricting the city,
but each one appointed herself a committee
of one for personal solicitation, and many and
many a scholar was brought Into the Bible
School through this medium.
“Dr. Bricker and a squadron of men worked
the large buildings arasng the business men
who had been negligent In going to Bible
school. It is astonishing the good work they
did. In several cases the ’"flying squadron"
ran across cases where families were too poor
to send their children to Bible school on ac
count of the children not having the proper
clothes, as they thought, to go. fn all such
cases the ladies bought and made clothes for
the children.
“Among the regularly enrolled children es
pecially. and among quite a few of the older
members, one of the schemes worked was to
set alarm clocks on Sunday morning, and to
go then to homes where the excuse was the
family couldn’t get up In time, and to awaken
the entire family. Once awake, they would
cuxgo to Bible sciooL la several Instances girl
THREE of Atlanta’s Sunday School Captains. Governor John M. Slaton appears
in the center as he instructs his class at the Trinity Methodist Church, with R. X
Guinn at the right in an attitude he assumes as the head of Wesley Memorial Sunday
School. At the left is Fred J. Paxon who teaches the Bible Class at the Second Bap
tist Church.
rz ~22 ~ ~ “
ki «ytQL * *. '> ._Z • -jb
JKSjytefe, : -ar# v *
aB ' ■ SmW *■• A
jM . J
J|iW
HF 4&jJoF
EfifeiMSliF >f CTh
! F
If f
4n^l' : i-
■ ’W" f <* < 5 **ffwfflßwWHw
I Ap ' ... : --‘-"-< ?
Jx-
pupils were known tn have gone into the family
kitchen of neighbors, and to Insist upon the
memliers of the families going to Sunday
School. In almost every instance this was ac
complished, and these same people are now
great workers tn the school.
“In the gathering in of new scholars, the
ladies’ aid society played a very prominent
part. They were really the power behind the
‘flying squadron,’ as schemes were usually con
summated in the meetings of the ladles’ aid.
Among the mule members of the church, and
non-members, they brought old men who hadn’t
been to Bible school for years, to the fold.”
Something of the determination of Sunday
School workers In obtaining recruits is revealed
in the story of the campaign. It was this de
termination that gave the Sunday School of
the First Christian Church the title for a few
days of the largest Sunday School in the world,
and that placed the Second Baptist Church but
a few points behind It.
Other Sunday schools of the city were bene
fited as well by the burst of enthusiasm that
came with the big contest. Without the inspi
ration of a contest, they took on new interest,
and went to work with coats off.
"Interest in Sunday School work generally
was enhanced,” said R. J. Guinn, superintend
ent of the Sunday School of the Wesley Me
mortal Church, “and an impetus was given it
that will not die out.”
His own Sunday School is one of the largest
in the city, with a membership of near a thou
sand. It Is one of the most carefully organ
ized of all the Sunday Schools, with a sub
division Into seven departments, each of which
has a definite curriculum, and each of which
a trained superintendent. One of the depart
mental leaders, for instance, is W. D, Blood
worth. secretary of the Atlanta Title Guaran
tor* Company, who has charge of the teachers’
training class. The class is put through a
course of three years’ duration, and studies
are outlined as in a more formal college course.
Another of the teachers in tlie Wesley Me
morial Sunday School is W. 8. Witham, the
hanker, whose class of 120 is one of the most
enthusiastic and diligent In Atlanta’s Sunday
Schools. Another departmental superintend
ents is W. D. Thompson, prominent lawyer of
Atlanta, and Thomas K. Glenn, president of
the Atlanta Steel Works.
In many Instances the policy la adopted of
appealing to members through the agency of
a teacher of the other sex. For Instance, In
the First Chrtatlan Church the class of young
men taught by Mrs. F. M. Robinson and the
class of young women taught by Mr. Robinson,
are said to be enthusiastic and faithful in at
tendance and devotion to studies. Each of
these classes numbers 100 or more, and Is
among thoae that form the basis of the pros
perity of the First Christian Sunday School.
Moat of the classes, however, are not exclusive-
ly of men or women, except in the ease ot
adolescent boys and girls. Among the more
mature pupils, mixed classes of men and wom
en are generally formed.
Other Sunday Schools whose workers tell of
a growing enthusiasm In Sunday School work
are the Baptist Tabernacle school, whose su
perintendent Is Dr. Joseph Broughton; the
Central Presbyterian school. Superintendent
John J. Eagan; the St. Paul Methodist Sunday
School, Superintendent John R. Oochran.
These, next to the First Christian and Second
Baptist Sunday schools, claim the largest menv
liershlps.
The Sunday Schools of the St. Paul Meth
odist Church and the Baptist Tabernacle have
enrollments of almut 1,200 with a high aver
age attendance. The Trinity Methodist Sun
day School, in which Governor Slaton is one
of the teachers, has a large enrollment, also.
Everywhere men of prominence are active
Sunday School workers, even in the smaller
churches. Asa G. Candler is superintendent
of the Inman Park Methodist Sunday school.
Colonel A. P. Stewart is a teacher in the First
Baptist Sunday School. Others are: 0. J.
Katnper. George D. Hinman, O. C. Fuller, John
S. Spalding, who is superintendent of the pow
erful Second Baptist Sunday School, 0. V.
I. nuperintendent of the record breaking
First Christian Sunday School; P. 11. Brewster,
J. K. Orr, Marion Jackson. Dr. K. Q. Matheson,
president of the Georgia School of Technology;
<’. Murphey Candler, president of the Georgia
Railroad Commission: Wilmer L. Moore, presi
dent of the Chamber of Commerce; M. M. Da
vies, E. V. Carter. James L. Ma.rson, John S.
Owens, Hugh L. Willet. William Hurd Hillver,
Walter Colquitt. W. W. Orr, Col. Willis M. Ev
erett, and a hundred others.
Sunday School work thus claims the activi
ties of Atlanta’s foremost men. Their efforts
have made Atlanta notable otherwise. It is
not surprising then that Atlanta should be
among the first Sunday School cities. AqO
having obtained the members, they are holding
them by a varied appeal. The social side of
Sunday School is not neglected. The classes,
with their definite organization, have picnics,
festivals, moonlight rides, and companionship
Is quickened. Youag mon and young women
are drawn together, and the more mature find
companionship. Altogether, going to Sunday
School may be rather pleasant, Atlanta people
are finding. Consequently, they go.
Last week the Sunday Schools of Atlanta
held a home-coming, and the results proved
that the new Sunday School work is popular
and effective. It was reported at the home
coming** that the average gain for seventeen
schools was 126 each school over last year. In
the seventeen schools, the total attendance was
6,904, an average of 406, against a total the
same Sunday last year of 4,762, an average only
of 280, * . . J
3E